Joan Reeves, owner of that
great blog called SlingWords, just informed the world that my newest book is on her
to-be-read list. Pop over to her site and see the other great titles on the list.
Click here to visit

I don't know about you, but I
like to eat light during hot weather. Here's a nice frittata that cooks up in
no time. My herbs are looking beautiful at the moment, so I have been known to substitute
purple basil or chives for the parsley. Enjoy!

Beat the eggs with a pinch of
salt and pepper until they are frothy. Set aside for a moment.

Rinse asparagus and snap each
stalk at the point on the stem where the stalk wants to break; cut into 1-inch
pieces.

Set a 10-inch cast iron
skillet over high heat. Pour in the oil and rotate to coat bottom. Add the
asparagus stalks to the hot oil. Cook for approx. 2 minutes, shaking the
skillet occasionally to turn the asparagus. When asparagus becomes bright
greet, pour the beaten eggs over the roasted asparagus. Tilt the pan to evenly
distribute the eggs.

Once the eggs start to set, gently lift the edge with a thin spatula. Tilt the
skillet to allow the uncooked egg to run beneath the cooked egg. Place the
skillet on the burner again and swirl it to redistribute the egg. Cook for
about a minute or so, continuing to lift and tilt until the egg on top is no
longer runny.

Sprinkle the cheese and
smoked paprika over the surface of the frittata. Slide the skillet into the
oven. Bake the frittata until it is firm to the touch, about 5 minutes. Do not
overcook!

We all love excellence... we
all love excellent books... some novels can even be called phenomenal for
one reason or another: the unique story, the easy style, the imaginative prose,
the vivid descriptions or the amazing and believable characters.

I am participating in a
weekend sale of phenomenal books that have been reduced in price just for you—the
avid readers out there who just can't get enough excellence. (I count myself
among you and will be buying a few of these titles myself.)

Once again, About.com has me
jumping up and down like a giddy kid. They've put the cover of my newest
romance – Reclaim My Heart – on the landing page of their site! Valerie
Peterson, the editor of About.com Book Publishing, told me the cover will be
there for the full month of July because, well...because July is the month of romance. I am so excited and so grateful for the
exposure. Please pop over there and take a look:

With summer temperatures sweltering
here in the US, no one wants to heat up the kitchen. The heat
only makes picky eaters even more finicky. So I've put together a few easy and kid-friendly
recipes to help moms and dads beat the heat.

Remember, kids like to be
involved, so let them in on the decision AND on the hands-on making of the meal!

Chicken Quesadillas

Flour (or corn) tortillas

2 cups cooked, shredded
chicken

1 can refried beans

2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Spread a thin layer of
refried beans on a tortilla. Add a layer of chicken and a layer of cheese. Top
with another tortilla. Heat just until cheese is melted (let's call it gooey…kids
LOVE that word). Heating in a microwave (30 seconds or so) will result in a
soft tortilla. Heating in a skillet gives the tortilla a nice crispness.
Heating on the grill offers crispness and a wonderful smokiness. Cut each
quesadilla into quarters and serve with various condiments: salsa or pico de
gallo, sour cream, guacamole, salsa verdi, etc. (Add more grown up toppings for
the adults: shredded lettuce, roasted red peppers, sliced scallions,
caramelized onions, etc.)

Bagel Pizzas

Bagels (regular-sized for the
adults, mini bagels for the kids)

1 jar pizza sauce

2 cups shredded mozzarella

1 bag pepperoni slices

Slice bagels; top with sauce,
mozzarella, and pepperoni. Heat just until cheese is gooey. As stated above,
the microwave works, resulting in a soft bagel. Heat in a skillet or on the
grill for a crisp "crust." You could also pop the bagels under the
broiler for a few minutes.

Watermelon Lemonade

6 cups of seedless watermelon
(cut into 1" cubes)

1 ten-ounce bottle lemon
juice

6 cups water

¾ cup sugar

Working in batches, puree
watermelon with the lemon juice in a blender or food processor. Place puree
into a large pitcher. Add water and sugar. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Pour
over ice cubes. Yum!

Today, I welcome my friend, author Carmen DeSousa, to my blog. Here's what she has to say about her newest release, Split Decisions:

~ ~ ~

As
I was doing my final read-through of She Belongs to Me eighteen months
ago, I realized I’d left several options open for a new story.

Like
my real life, my female protagonist had many options to fail or succeed in her
life. Every choice she made good and bad brought her to a crossroads. Some
situations, of course, were out of her control, just as they are out of our
control in real life. We don’t always see what awaits us on the other side of
the door, and that can be scary or thrilling, happy or sad, wonderful or
horrifying.

One
of my favorite quotes to deal with all of these choices—good and bad—is…

I
liked the quote so much I used it in my newest novel, Split Decisions, as I
discussed this very issue of the choices we make and the situations others
thrust us into without our approval. As I considered my life, at all the
horrible things that have happened to me, all the bad decisions I’ve made, I
realized that if I hadn’t made every one of them, I wouldn’t be where I am
today. And more importantly, I wouldn’t have ended up where I did twenty-three
years ago, the year I met my husband. He is the reason I am alive and the
reason I can write ‘happily ever afters’.

So
remember, it doesn’t matter what door you decided to walk through, you can
always make it the door to your dream. No matter if someone shoved you through
it or if you opened it on your own volition, make that decision work for the
good.

If
my musings interest you, you will find all of these concepts in my stories. My
first novel, She Belongs to Me, follows the life of a woman who has gone
through many tragedies, but via one decision meets a man hell bent on saving
her from them. She just has to learn to trust again and let her past and
secrets go.

From
there, all my novels have a slight connection to each other, so you can
continue the journey and meet different protagonists with different issues and
tragedies to overcome. Every story has a mystery, there’s always a gentle
message, and above all, there’s always romance and suspense.

When you visit other websites
and see lots of comments, what do you think? This site is popular! And that's
exactly the opinion you want visitors to have about your site. So always
include at least one open-ended question at the end of your posts.

3. Respond To Comments

If visitors take the time to
comment, you should be a good host and respond. This isn't difficult. Click the
setting on your blog so that you're alerted by e-mail any time someone
comments.

4. Leave Comments On Other Blogs

Comment boxes usually offer a
chance to add the URL of your blog as part of the comment process. DO THIS! You
never know who might happen along, read your witty comment, and enjoy it so much they
click through to your blog.

There you have it, my 4 quick
and simple tips for blogging success. What tips have you found that have made
your blog a success?